Tom’s of Maine, Inc. has a reputation for providing consumers with natural personal care products. At issue in this case are toothpastes made by Tom’s, which are labeled as “natural,” but which the complaint for this class action alleges contain synthetic ingredients.
The class for this action is all persons in the US who bought the products between January 13, 2018 and the date the class is certified in this case. A subclass has also been defined, for all those in the above class that are in Illinois. The Tom’s of Maine toothpastes at issue in this action are the following:
- Antiplaque and Whitening Peppermint
- Antiplaque and Whitening Spearmint
- Activated Charcoal Peppermint
- Luminous White Clean Mint
- Children’s Silly Strawberry
- Propolis & Myrrh Cinnamint
- Botanically Bright Peppermint
- Propolis and Myrrh Fennel
- Antiplaque and Whitening Fennel
- Antiplaque and Whitening Spearmint Gel
- Toddler Training Mild Fruit
- Whole Care Cinnamon Clove
- Whole Care Peppermint
- Whole Care Spearmint
- Whole Care Wintermint
- Simply White Clean Mint
- Kids Outrageous Orange Mango
- Wicked Cool Mild Mint
- Wicked Fresh Cool Peppermint
- Wicked Fresh Spearmint Ice
- Rapid Relief Sensitive Fresh Mint
- Simply White Sweet Mint
- Teeth + Gum Health Cool Mint
- Teeth + Gum Health Fresh Mint
All of the above products are labeled as being “Natural,” but the complaint alleges that all of them “contain some combination of the same synthetic ingredients Sorbitol, Hydrated Silica, Xylitol, Glycerin, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.”
The complaint then reviews each of these substances to explain why they are considered synthetic and not natural.
For example, it traces the path of refined coconut oil/palm kernel oil through the process of hydrogenation into lauryl alcohol, and then through sulfonation and neutralization to become sodium lauryl sulfate: “During the hydrogenation process unsaturated double bonds in the fatty acids of vegetable oils react with hydrogen atoms in the presence of a metal catalyst[;] typically nickel catalysts are used in commercial hydrogenation of edible oils…”
The complaint suggests that Tom’s uses professional chemists to develop the formulas for its products, and says that Tom’s therefore knew or should have known through these employees that not all the ingredients were natural or naturally made.
Consumers have no way of knowing that the product is not natural, the complaint alleges, because of the false labeling of the products and so did not get what they paid for. “Worse than the lost money,” the complaint claims, those who bought the product “were deprived of their protected interest to choose the type and quality of products they ingest.”
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Tom’s of Maine “Natural” Toothpastes Contain Synthetics Complaint
January 13, 2023
Tom’s of Maine, Inc. has a reputation for providing consumers with natural personal care products. At issue in this case are toothpastes made by Tom’s, which are labeled as “natural,” but which the complaint for this class action alleges contain synthetic ingredients.
Tom’s of Maine “Natural” Toothpastes Contain Synthetics ComplaintCase Event History
Tom’s of Maine “Natural” Toothpastes Contain Synthetics Complaint
January 13, 2023
Tom’s of Maine, Inc. has a reputation for providing consumers with natural personal care products. At issue in this case are toothpastes made by Tom’s, which are labeled as “natural,” but which the complaint for this class action alleges contain synthetic ingredients.
Tom’s of Maine “Natural” Toothpastes Contain Synthetics Complaint